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The Louvre Museum is located in the heart of Paris, France. It the largest museum in the world but it is well known not because of its size and many artefacts it holds but due to the fact that it is home to one of the most famous paintings in the world: THE MONA LISA!
The Mona Lisa is one of the major attractions at the Louvre. It is strategically located in the Museum, and one can look at it even from a far. It is also located in the largest room in the Louvre. There are always long queues of people waiting in line to get a glimpse of the painting.
Fun Fact
So did Leonardo da Vince paint the Mona Lisa as a concept of imagination or was Mona Lisa a real person? Well… the New York Post reports that one of the theories is that Mona Lisa, La Gioconda from Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece, was a real person. And we’re not talking about a self-portrait of the artist, as you may think. Mona Lisa was a real Florentine woman, born and raised in Florence under the name of Lisa Gherardini. Gherardini was the wife of a Florentine merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. Others argue that Mona Lisa is actually a painting of Leonardo da Vinci himself. Wish he had let us know.
The halls, the courts at the Louvre are a marvel to look at. When it comes to size, the Louvre is the largest Museum on planet earth. 73,000sqm!!! It has flour floors with paintings and artefacts from pre-history. This makes it a must visit destination in France, after The Eiffel Tower.
The Louvre Musuem is huge so…. What else does the Louvre Museum have to offer? The museum has a lot of art pieces and paintings. It is home to thousands of paintings and different pieces of artefacts.
Being that the history in the museum dates back to pre-history… the Artefacts represent different eras and different generations. One can also see different tools that were used in different ages.
It is important to point out that the The Mona Lisa is not the only painting at the Louvre. The walls, the floors and even the ceilings in most galleries are covered with art work.
Considering the size of the Louvre, and the sheer amount it takes to walk through the Louvre.. its amazing that the Louvre has a restaurant of its own. The restaurant balcony offers amazing views of Paris and one can watch over the glass pyramid that is the entrance to the Louvre.
As mentioned above the Louvre is very rich in history, from replicas from the kingdom of Babylon to sculptures from Syria and different kingdoms over history. An example is the Colossal Lamassu Sculpture from the Palace of Sargon II, it was believed that the. The second image is a depiction of a genie from the Mesapotamia religion era.
French history is also represented in the Louvre Museum. A great statue of Napoleon is erected in one of the courts. Remember Napoleon, who commisioned the construction of the Arc of Triumph in honour of his great victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. The sculpture depicts Napoleon in Roman triumphant attire: he is dressed in a coat of bees tied on the left shoulder, crowned with laurels, and wears the Legion of Honor on a collar of eagles.In his right hand he holds a scelpter while in the other he grasps the hilt of his sword.
There are also ancient artefacts and objects spread out through the Museum. An example is this carpet from the 1600s. In the early years of his reign, Louis XVI commissioned the manufacture of 93 large carpets that were to cover the entire floor of the grand gallery in the Louvre. The manufacturing started in 1668 and ended 1689. This highly ambitious project was never completed. Two carpets from the 93 commissioned can be found in the Louvre to date.
If one is into Greek mythology there are is a lot to learn and see. In the image below is a sculpture depicting a fight between Hercules and the river god, Achelous. In the 1st century AD), the river god Achelous had to compete with the hero Hercules for the love of Deianira. As they fought, Achelous turned into a snake, then a bull, but was finally defeated. François-Joseph Bosio, a prominent neoclassical sculptor during the First French Empire (1804-1814) and Bourbon Restoration (1815-1830), spread the influence of Italian sculptor Antonio Canova in France. The composition of this work was inspired by Canova’s Theseus Fighting the Centaur (1804, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna).
The entrance, to the Louvre is one that puts one to awe. The pyramid that appears at the top is also visible at the bottom. After taking the elevators to go down to the Louvre, one finds the reception desk, and the ticketing desk buy tickets or get a map for the Louvre. But remember always buy the tickets online before going to the museum. That way you don’t have to wait in line for long.
The Louvre Museum is an awesome place to visit and the city of Paris has a lot to offer: The Eiffel Tower, The Notre Dame, The Arc of Triumph !!!
Travel 101 Tips
Travel 101 Tips to the Louvre Museum
- Book your tour in advance
- Plan a minimum of 3 hours at the Louvre to a maximum of 6 hours
- It is perfect to visit on a very hot or very cold day as one will be indoors
See you in Paris!!!!
